I Hear Fake Wedding Bells
by FF Saves the Day
Summary: Emma Hollingsworth from Archenland; rich, beautiful, self-proclaimed witty... and a complete kleptomaniac. One wrong rob sends her to prison, and it's either staining her father's reputation forever, or pretending to be King Edmund the Just's fiancee so he can escape from an unwanted marriage.
1. One Spoonful Away from Liberty

Emma Hollingsworth thought that being practical was one of her best features (alongside her beauty, wit, smartness, etc...). If it wasn't for that, the (im)mature nineteen-year-old would've still been crying her pretty hazel eyes out inside that darned Narnian cell. Well, she was still inside... but closer to liberty than before.

"I still don't see what the big deal was," she murmured to herself. She was using a stray spoon she found in a corner to dig out a hole near the wall. "It was just a small, heart-shaped trinket. Nobody would've bought it from that stand at the price it was at. I did him a _favor_ by robbing it!"

Ah, Emma. Rich, beautiful, sophisticated... and a complete kleptomaniac. Her father, Mr. Arnold Hollingsworth, was a rich merchant from Archenland. For the first time ever, he'd brought his daughter along in a business trip. This time, the trip was to the 'marvelous' Narnia, which really, Emma saw as the most idiotic thing ever. The talking animals made it all look so inelegant, the stands in the street didn't have a single fashionable thing, the people were too nice (had they ever heard of minding their own business?), and worst of all, the authorities weren't easily fooled.

Four hours ago, she was walking down a merchant street, trying to find anything pretty or useful at the stands. But she had not seen anything... until a twinkle to her right caught her eye. She could see it was a silver trinket, in the shape of a heart. The longer she gazed at it, that feeling of want bubbled inside her. She needed to feel that trinket in her hands, she _needed_ to take it without anyone finding out. That rush of feeling that sored inside her whenever she stole something was more than amazing. So, she _simply_ had to make her way through the herds of people in the street and reach that stand. She just _had_ to wait for the merchant to turn around, so she could steal that trinket. And for a while, she could hold it in her hand, feeling the familiar weight of a stolen item in her hand. But some stupid centaur watching the area just _had_ to catch her, and imprison her in some dirty, smelly and humid cell.

But she could not let her father find out about her ways. He'd definitely take away her privileges, and never ever take her to another trip (she was still waiting for the day he'd take her to the magnificent Tashbaan). So, after realizing that the cell walls leading to the back garden of the Cair Park, or whatever the castle's name was, was as weak as a clump of dry soil, she found a spoon and began to dig an area near the wall. She was building her escape route.

For the first time ever, she didn't care that her golden-brown locks of hair were dirty with mud, or that her face was smeared with dust. And let's not forget about the soil in her nails. But this was an emergency, so she had to leave her ladylike manners behind.

Once a ray of light penetrated from a hole under the wall, excitedly, she peaked her head through the small window on top of her. That garden was completely empty. She smiled, lowering her head. Picking up her spoon, she resumed her digging. Until...

_Clomp, clomp. Clomp, clomp._

"Darn it," she whispered, before hiding the spoon and sitting in front of her work. She buried her dirty face in her hands, pretending to sob.

She could already feel the eyes of the centaur on her. She shuddered, still not used to the idea of a man with a body of a horse walking around as if it was nothing.

That foolish creature had made her job trying to escape hard. Every time she'd made process, that prison guard would show up around her cell area.

_Clomp, clomp. Clomp, clomp._

Peaking from an opening in her fingers, she realized he was finally leaving. After the centaur was out of sight and earshot, she continued her job. However, this time, she simply used her hands to remove pieces from the wall. Like she said, the wall near the floor could crumble like bread. She wished she could leave a note behind, warning the Narnians, but she didn't have any paper or pen to write on. Emma smirked when she'd made a hole big enough for her to fit in.

"Thank God for my petite frame," she whispered with excitement as she crawled through the hole.

Once her palms felt the prickly sensation of green grass, she giggled, proud of herself. If it had been any other girl from Archenland, they would've still been crying inside that hole Narnians called a prison. And that's more than accurate, because all their heads were filled with stupid fantasies about their prince charming. As if Emma should be thinking of those idiocies. Men should be thinking about _her_ being _their_ princess charming, not the other way around. After all, an intelligent girl like Emma only deserved-

Her head bumped into something hard –as hard as someone's knees.

She fell back, and realized that two people were in front of her. With wide eyes, she slowly gazed up. The sun couldn't let her see clearly, but she could make out the shape of two faces looking down at her. One was of a goat man (she believed their name was _faun_), and the other was a man. A handsome man. Sunkissed skin, golden hair, a nice-looking splatter of freckles across his face, defined jaw and a nice pair of dark brown eyes.

And then she remembered.

Girls in Archenland had described King Edmund the Just the exact same way.

Gasping, she jumped up to her feet. "Are you King Edmund the Just?"

The boy seemed shocked as he gazed at Emma's dirty presence. "Yes."

Emma's mouth dropped open, and she quickly bowed her head down, forgetting all her ladylike manners. She'd already done that when she'd so bluntly questioned the king's identity. As she looked down at her feet, she realized with horror that her dark blue skirt was soaked in brown mud. That was not the way she was supposed to meet a _king_. Shutting her eyes close, she tried to regain her composure. _I'm Emma Hollingsworth, not a stammering idiot._ Taking in a deep breath, she slumped back her shoulders in a nice manner and, as dirty as it was, stretched the sides of her skirt in a bowing way.

"It's an honor meeting you," she said very elegantly. And then she added, "King Edmund the Just."

The faun began to speak. "Oh, he likes to be addressed as-"

"Tumnus," King Edmund interrupted. "Is this the Emma Hollingsworth you were speaking of?"

Emma had been taught not to directly look at any king's or queen's eyes, but she just had to look up in an alarming manner. He knew her name? _That was it_. Her reputation would be _stained_, everybody back home would see her as a kleptomaniac who wore dirty rags in front of a king.

"Yes," the faun, _Tumnus_, replied.

And to her surprise, Edmund let out a slight chuckle, though his eyes weren't laughing. They were gazing at the hole in the wall behind Emma. "Clever. I guess we'll have to fix that."

"I'll tell the workers, your Highness," Tumnus said.

King Edmund was still eyeing Emma. "Tumnus, get her into clean clothes and bring her to my study room. I think she'd be perfect for the job."

Tumnus bowed. "Of course."

_Perfect for what job?_ She wanted to ask them that, but she felt it improper to question the king's reasons. After all, she was already a kleptomaniac, dirty and blunt girl for him. She shouldn't add more to that list.

"I'll leave you with her," King Edmund told him. "I'll go to my chambers. Oh, and don't forget to inform the guard. If he sees that hole, he'll think she escaped. Well... she did do that, but... just tell him she's with us."

"I will not forget to do so," Tumnus replied with a small smile.

* * *

**Note:** So Emma is not just a kleptomaniac, but also a girl who's very full of herself. I know she might seem annoying that way, but that's my purpose for her attitude. Don't worry, you won't always want to strangle her. Though, I must admit it, I found this fun to write this chapter because of her way of thinking :)

Yes, I'm a new author. And of course I'd really appreciate some constructive criticism ;D The setting of this story is sort of like in The Horse and His Boy. The Pevensies are still reigning in Narnia, but a few years away from going back to England. Well... thanks for reading!


	2. Would you marry me for a month?

"I think that dress suits you perfectly," Tumnus told Emma, smiling at her. "Don't you agree, ladies?"

The two servants next to Tumnus nodded. They were even shorter than Emma, with a slender build, wide blue eyes and an identical face.

Emma looked at herself in the mirror. She'd never been fond of dark green, but she had to admit it, it was such a pretty dress –simple, but pretty. The servants had also styled her hair nicely, making a sideways French braid that started from the hair on her forehead and finished just above her ear, leaving the rest of her hair to cascade down her shoulders. She usually wore eye-catching dresses, accompanied with elegant hairstyles. But her outfit that day was a complete opposite. Simple and casual, but it still looked elegant in her. Emma smiled, proud. _Emma Hollingsworth, the girl who can grace any outfit she wears_, she told herself.

"Well, we don't want to be late," Tumnus said. He motioned at the door. "King Edmund might already be waiting for us."

Emma bowed her head at the servants. "Thank you, girls."

The servants curtsied before leaving the room.

As Emma and Tumnus walked down the hallways, she tried to _discretely _marvel at her surroundings. Good manners prohibited her from staring openly at her surroundings, after all.

Cair Paravel (she finally remembered its name) was as majestic as her friends had told her. High arched windows permitted rays of light to shine down on the stone hallways. Emma liked how bright everything looked. And let's not forget the view from the windows –truly amazing. She could nearly see the entire kingdom from where she stood, since Cair Paravel was located on top of a hill. Now that she looked at Narnia from up there, she saw what so many people marveled about it.

"We're here."

Emma snapped out of her daze, and turned to look at Tumnus. He pointed at the large double doors in front of her.

"This is King Edmund's study room?" Emma asked. Even the doors looked majestic.

Tumnus nodded, opening the doors. "King Edmund, we've arrived."

King Edmund was sitting on a cushioned chair, filled with beautiful stitch details. The twenty-year-old looked up from his book, which seemed to be part of the large collection the King owned. More than half of the room was made up of bookshelves. Emma couldn't help but look up at the roof, where a circular window brightened the room.

Tumnus escorted Emma through the marble floors and to the chair across from the King.

And she'd thought her house was rich with beauty.

"Please take a seat," the King asked.

Still dazed, Emma nodded, her eyes lingering on the table in the middle. Not only were delicious-looking pastries on top of it, but also beautiful figures were carved on the mahogany wood.

The servants from before set down a tray of fine china.

"Thank you," King Edmund said, as one of the girls served tea. The girls curtsied before placing themselves on a corner of the room.

"The doors are closed, Tumnus?" Edmund asked.

Tumnus nodded. "Yes, King Edmund."

His eyes landed on Emma, and he gave her a slight smile. "Now that you're not covered with mud I can finally look at your face."

Emma's mouth parted open, as her cheeks flushed. "Was I really so dirty back then?"

Edmund chuckled, shaking her head. "It was a joke. You only had a few smears of dirt across your jaw."

Emma was not satisfied. She'd left a bad first impression on the King.

The light in his eyes left, and it was soon replaced by a dull look. "Miss Emma… before I… I tell you about my business with you, you must promise not to tell anyone. In the entire kingdom, only Tumnus, the maids –Alicia and Felicia –I, and soon, you, know about it. Do you promise not to even hint about it?"

"I do…" Emma replied, her voice trailing off. She grimaced, knowing how uneducated she would sound the moment she uttered her next words. "But, please, you have to promise not to tell my dad, or anyone by the matter, that I was imprisoned."

King Edmund gave her a curt nod. "Actually, that's my bargain plea. You agree to help me, and I will let you free of your crime without telling anyone."

"That would be grand," Emma replied, smiling with relief. "For a moment I though my reput-" she stopped herself, thinking it not proper to tell King Edmund about her worries. Besides, she'd sound immature –something she clearly was not (or thought she wasn't). "I agree to help you."

King Edmund shifted his gaze to the table, looking uncomfortable. "You should hear me out first."

"Of course," Emma replied.

The King sighed. "I'm pretty much sure you've heard about the Archenland Conflict… I believe you're from there?"

"Yes," Emma answered. "The conflict was all thanks to King Rabadash, wasn't it?"

"That would be correct," King Edmund affirmed. "So you've obviously heard about the rumors of Calormen and Narnia not getting along well, right?"

Emma nodded.

"Well, to silence all that talk," King Edmund proceeded. "A lot of the members of the royal court thought that it would be good that King Peter would marry a Calormene duchess. However, even thought it's finally over, he's pretty busy with the Ettinsmoor Conflict. So of course, I'm the king that follows, so the wedding task is now mine. I have to get engaged with a Calormene duchess by the next week."

"And you don't want to," Emma added with a knowing smile.

"That's right," Edmund answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've already met two… and, well, they made it quite obvious that they don't want to marry me, either. But the court insists, so I still have to choose one of them."

"I see," Emma murmured. She pursed her lips. "But I still don't get it… what do you want me to do?"

King Edmund's cheeks turned slightly pink. He hesitated. "You see…"

Emma nodded with expectancy.

"This is quite odd from me, since I'm usually the 'voice of reason', as my siblings put it. But desperate times call for desperate measures," he began. He paused. "I need you to pretend to be my fiancée."

Emma's mouth nearly dropped open.

"It will just be for a month or so," King Edmund continued. "When the time comes, I'll make sure that news of discord between us get out, and a few days later, Tumnus here will announce that we're not ready to marry, and that it won't be a good idea. Then you'll be able to return home."

Emma was still quite shocked.

But then she really began to think about it.

If people really thought she would become the queen of Narnia, they'd treat her like one. That meant utter respect, all the comforts, delicious food (she was _dying_ to take a bite from one of the pastries in front of her), beautiful dresses, and a living in the beautiful castle of Cair Paravel.

"I'll understand if you don't want to, after all, I've already been rejected twice by those duchesses-"

"I'll do it," Emma replied. Her suave attitude slowly returned to her, since she'd been quite dazed and shocked previously. She popped one of the tiny pastries inside her mouth. "I'd love to help you, King Edmund."

King Edmund's face brightened. "You'd help me?"

"It'd be an honor, your Majesty," Emma assured, thinking of the beautiful chamber that'd be waiting for her.

King Edmund grinned at Tumnus before continuing. "Thank you, Miss Emma."

Emma gave him a court nod. "Of course… may I just ask a question?"

"Whatever it is," King Edmund told her.

"How did you know who I was back in the prison?"

The King motioned at the books behind Emma. "Your father made me the huge favor of finding me that book collection I'd always wanted. To thank him, I invited him to a banquet, were he talked about himself and his family."

"I see," Emma said with a chuckle. "I really must resemble him, then."

King Edmund pointed at the charm bracelet in her wrist. "Actually, I remember giving him that for you as a thank you gift."

Emma glanced down at her wrist than back up at the King. "Than I must say, your Highness, you've got really good taste on jewelry."

King Edmund chuckled. "Thank you… by the way, since you're my pretend fiancée now, I think you should just call me Edmund. Especially since everybody will think that we've been sharing correspondence for a while now."

Emma tilted her head. "How's that?"

King Edmund glanced at Tumnus. "We thought that, to make it less suspicious, we should make people think that we'd known each other for a while. Here's the story: on one of my trips to Archenland, I bumped into you, and we began to exchange letters. Time went by, and we became fond of each other. Then, you came here, and I asked you to marry me before they married me off to some other girl."

"I see… _Edmund_," Emma said. She bit her lower lip, a ghost of a smile in her lips. "You'll have to explain all that to my father, though. He'll surely think I blackmailed you or something."

"Actually, I already sent for him," Edmund informed her. "He had to send his assistant since he couldn't make it-"

The doors to the study room opened, and in came a guard. "Mr. Franklin Chamberlain of Archenland here to see you, your Highness."

Emma's smile disappeared.

A young man walked in. He had reddish-brown messy hair, and his green eyes were filled with worry.

He bowed. "It's an honor meeting you, your Highness. I hope that Emma has not caused any trouble."

The twenty-five-year-old glared at Emma, who in turn, stood up. "Frank!"

She quickly sat down and leaned closer to Edmund. She whispered, "Even though he's a few years older than me, we've been very good friends for a while now. I'd hate to lie to him… couldn't we tell him the truth?"

"Uh…" Edmund looked uncertain. "I don't know…"

"You know what, let's not," Emma cut in, smiling. "He's always said that with this 'attitude' of mine, I'd never get a proper husband. The surprise he'll have when he realizes I'm your fiancée."

Emma stood back up again. "Frank… you will be pleased to know I have not caused any trouble."

Frank sighed, clearly relieved.

"In fact," she said, with a pleased smile. "I'm getting married to King Edmund."

Frank's eyes nearly popped out.

* * *

**Note:** I realize that the part describing her braid might be confusing, so I'll just give you an example of one. Search for 'Lauren Conrad braid' on Google or whatever search engine you use, and most of the images will show you what "braid" I'm talking about.

I tried to give you a fast update since, not only was I trying to leave my Math studying for later by writing this (:3), but I'm not sure if I'll be able to write more chapters the next week. You see, it's exams week. Well, I hope you enjoyed this! Thanks for reading :)


	3. Spilling Troubles All over Garments

"I've got one question for you, Frank," Emma announced, setting her teacup down.

Frank gave her a court nod. "I'm listening."

Emma smiled from ear to ear. "Do you or do you not approve of my marriage with Edmund?"

Frank's lips curved upwards, but not into a full smile. "Of course I do… he's a _king_."

"Well, forget he's a king," Emma suggested. "I want to know what you think of his character. After all, you're always saying that it will take a man with a deal of a good attitude to put up with me."

Frank sighed. He pressed his lips together, a pensive look on his face. "Well, I couldn't really talk much with King Edmund. But the while I was with him… I concluded that he was serene, patient and, though light-hearted, mature for his age."

"And?" Emma asked, expectantly.

"I must admit it, you found your match," Frank answered.

Emma grinned triumphantly. "See? I did get a good husband after all!"

Frank chuckled silently. "Yes you did Emma."

Emma sighed, gazing at Frank. She couldn't say she felt completely not guilty about lying to her best friend. He'd always been there for her, after all. But, still. It was a _white_ lie. It wasn't as if she was hurting anyone! Besides, she was enjoying herself by making Frank think that he had been wrong about her not getting a good husband if she didn't change her attitude.

"He sort of reminds me of you," Emma informed him. "But he's a little… well, happier? I don't know. You're always carrying such a serious aura about you-"

"Miss Emma?"

Emma turned to look behind her.

It was one of the maids, Alicia. She was peaking her head from the door leading to Emma's brand new personal space –a living room (where Emma and Frank were enjoying a cup of tea), a door leading to her chamber, and another door leading to a small study room. There was also a balcony that faced the castle's beautiful backyard, which was full of lively flowers.

"Yes?" Emma replied.

Alicia curtsied. "It's time for you to meet the Queens and King."

Emma's breath caught in her throat. It was time to meet the other Pevensies. Mustering a smile, she nodded. "Yes, Alicia. I'll be right there in a few minutes."

Alicia bowed before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Emma turned to look back at Frank.

He was inspecting her face. "_The_ Emma Hollingsworth nervous? How's that?"

"Who says I'm nervous?" Emma exclaimed.

Frank raised an eyebrow.

Emma stared at him blankly before sighing in defeat. Frank knew her so well, that it'd surprised her when he didn't see through her lie about the engagement.

"Fine," Emma admitted. "I _am_ nervous."

Frank smiled at her. "It's okay to be nervous. You're meeting your future husband's family. Not only that, but they're royalty."

Emma nodded, rubbing her sweaty palms against her light blue dress.

Crossing out the 'meeting your future husband's family' part, Frank was right. She was anxious, a strange feeling for her.

She had to cause a good impression on this side of the family. Edmund already saw her as a lying thief, and she wouldn't bear to be known as something equally bad to the siblings. All that preparation with Lady Hawthorne (her etiquette teacher) had to result in something.

"I cannot tell you how it'll turn out to be," Frank continued. "But I can assure you…"

Emma looked up at him.

Frank gazed at her. "That if you don't go now, you'll be late. And that won't cause such a good impression on the royal family now, will it?"

Emma giggled, thankful for Frank's presence. Other than criticizing her personality, he couldn't really ever give any useful advice. However, even though he had such a serious nature, whenever her spirits needed to be lifted, he was always there to make her feel better.

"You're right," Emma replied, standing up.

Frank followed suit.

"I'll get going," Emma told him. She smiled. "Will you come to the ball tonight?"

"Yes," Frank told her. "Your father and Lena will also be attending."

"Lena will be attending?" Emma asked, her eyes brightening with happiness of seeing her best friend.

Frank nodded. "The ball will be held in your honor, after all."

Emma smiled. "And I will look even better than I usually do."

Frank rolled his eyes good-heartedly. "Run along, Emma. King Edmund's siblings might've already waited long enough for your presence."

"My _long awaited_ presence," Emma corrected playfully.

"Whatever you say."

Emma waved at Frank before heading out the door. "Who will escort Frank out?"

Alicia motioned at her twin sister. "Felicia will."

"Alright," Emma said. "Now, I'm ready to meet the Pevensies."

"Follow me," Alicia asked.

And so, Emma was taken through many enchanting hallways. She'd already been living in the castle for two days and she hadn't seen _half_ of it. However, she was more than excited to do so. With her upbringing, it was obvious she should be entitled to live in such places. Even though it was temporal.

"We've arrived, Miss Emma," Alicia announced.

"Thank you, Alicia," Emma said, bowing her head.

Alicia curtsied before knocking on the door.

A guard peaked his head out.

"Miss Emma Chamberlain has arrived," Alicia told him.

The guard opened the door fully. "Please come in."

Emma did as asked, and once she was inside, the three siblings stood up. She curtsied with a small smile.

There was a tall, dark-haired boy by the window. He must've been King Peter. The short, smiling girl must be Queen Lucy. And the pretty one (who was gazing at her quite shocked and indifferently) was definitely Queen Susan. Ignoring the latter's looks, she made her way to the living room.

"Even though we haven't heard much of you," Peter began. He was, too, gazing at her quite quizzically. "It's a pleasure to finally see you. You are, indeed, quite lovely."

"Thank you," Emma replied, not surprised. How many other boys hadn't told her that?

"Please take a seat," Lucy told her, motioning at the loveseat in front of Emma.

"Of course."

Once she sat down, two maids rushed over to serve her tea.

"Ooh, that smells delicious," Emma commented, inspecting with hunger the pastries set out for her. The past days she'd been having a feast with those cakes. After all, there was no Lady Chamberlain telling her to watch out for her figure.

"I'm glad," Lucy said, smiling.

Something in the corner of her eye caught Emma's attention. It was a flash of red hair. She glanced at the window behind Peter. She could've sworn there was a young girl standing there a couple of seconds ago.

"So… you're from Archenland?" Susan began.

"Yes," Emma replied, taking a sip from her tea. "My father's family has always lived there. I believe you've met my father already? Mr. Arnold Chamberlain?"

"Oh, yes," Lucy replied. "He sold Edmund that wonderful book collection. He's such a witty person."

"I know," Emma giggled. "I believe he passed down some to me."

She was joking (though Emma thought it was true), but Lucy seemed to be the only one to get it. _Maybe outgoing and lovely girls are a rare sight in Narnia_, Emma thought. She was still willing to make a good impression, though.

"Did he get you that dress?" Susan asked, eyeing the light blue fabric. "It's really lively. I don't have that color."

"Oh, trust me," Emma began, setting her cup down. "I know quite a bit about fashion. And those opaque colors fit you so perfectly."

"Oh," Susan began, glancing down at her forest green dress. "You think so?"

Emma nodded. "Yes. It fits your personality."

Emma didn't mean to say Susan was 'opaque' (more like serene), but the Pevensies didn't quite get that, either. However, Emma, oblivious to all, didn't care to correct herself.

"Really," Susan continued dully. She wasn't smiling anymore. "I see."

Emma smiled. "I'm glad. Your dress color must always fit with your personality, or you will look like a total mess."

"I've worn light colors before," Susan informed her.

"It's complicated. I'd need my advisor, Lady Hawthorne, in here to fully explain it," Emma continued. "It also depends on the style, and how vibrant the 'light' color is. However, there are some girls –such as me –to which every color fits her well. Luckily, maybe you could be such a case…"

"I don't really like how that dress looks on you," Peter added, rather icily.

Emma glanced at him, her smile disappearing. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was set in a tight line.

"Not everybody has an eye for fashion," Emma added, regaining her composure. Though, she was quite surprised he'd call her out like that. Maybe King Peter was a direct an honest person? Or maybe he didn't like blue…

"Tina," Peter called out. "Could you serve me some more tea?"

"Oh, I'll do it," Emma offered. She'd remembered that Lady Hawthorne had advised her to always serve to people she wanted to impress. That way, she'd look generous and willing to help out everybody.

"There's no need-" Peter began

But as soon as Emma picked up the kettle, another flash of red caught her eye. She began to pour down the tea as she gazed out the window. _There_. There was a girl outside! She seemed to be hiding in the bushes!

Emma gasped. "Oh my! There's a-"

"Argh!" Peter exclaimed, standing up. He made Emma drop the kettle, which fell down with a loud shattering sound.

"That was a gift from the Archenland royalty!" Susan exclaimed, shocked.

"What's the matter?" Emma asked Peter.

He was shaking off… _tea_ from his garments. "You… you pest!"

"_Peter_," Lucy called out, shocked.

"You dropped tea all over me just because I said that light blue didn't look good on you!" he exclaimed, enraged. "I knew, the moment I saw that smug aura vibrating off from your annoying eyes that I wouldn't like you!"

Emma was at loss of words –for both embarrassment and shock. "I'm so sorry, but you see, a girl-"

"Peter, how can you say such things?" Lucy asked her brother, frowning with astonishment. "If I might say, I saw the scene quite funny. And what smugness were you talking about? She's just enthusiastic."

"She broke our finest kettle," Susan breathed out, staring at the broken shreds on the floor with pity.

"It was not my fault-" Emma began.

"My clothes are stained!" Peter cut her off.

It was then the servants came to help the king and queens.

Quite obviously, Emma was in trouble with the royalty. Making sure nobody was paying attention to her, she quickly escaped, red with humiliation. _Now _that _went grand,_ Emma told herself, rapidly leaving. She began to walk down the hallways, lightly hitting her forehead with her fist. She so badly waned to cause a good impression, and instead, she left behind a whole chaos. But then again, she was quite desperate to break the ice. After all, there was an unfriendly air about the room. And all of that was because King Peter and obviously Queen Susan had judged her way too quickly. They'd _misjudged_ Emma! _Obviously, if it weren't for their personality, we would've still been talking in there,_ Emma convinced herself. She sighed, grimacing. Edmund would obviously see the blame on her. He'd be mad at her, call off the deal and arrest her. _No._ She needed Edmund to see her as a good person. So, she would have to come up with a good excuse. A fever, maybe? Or-

She came to a halt.

Looking around, she realized she was completely lost.

"Oh my God," Emma whispered, slowly resuming her pace. "Where am I?"

She was sure she hadn't been on that side of the castle before.

After making turns and deducting ways, she suddenly materialized in another hallway that seemed familiar.

"Those windows… I feel as if I saw them before," Emma whispered, squinting her eyes.

And then she spotted the double doors leading to King Edmund's study room.

Sighing in relief, she picked up her skirt and walked as fast as she could toward it. But as soon as she reached it, she stopped. Now… what was she going to tell him? That she was lost and needed help to her room? If she told him that, then he'd certainly ask about the meeting with his siblings. And then… she would be forced to tell him she felt like a sick girl. And he obviously would think that she ended up there trying to excuse herself from her previous behavior in the meeting. And he would still blame her.

As soon as Emma was about to leave, she heard a female voice from inside.

"I still cannot believe you're getting married."

Emma, realizing the doors were slightly opened, strained her ear to listen.

"Yes, it was quite fast," Edmund replied.

Emma frowned. There was a hint of sadness in his tone.

"And shocking," the girl continued. "I mean… just a week ago you were asking _my_ hand in marriage."

Emma had to suppress a gasp. _What?_

There was a small silence.

"Annabel… I… there's something I need to confess."

"What is it Edmund?"

Emma's eyes widened. Here he was, telling her she could not tell Frank (though it did benefit her) about the deal, and he was telling some other girl about it!

"It's about you and I…"

"Yes?"

"Well, you see… Emma. Emma was just a way out of marrying-"

"Miss Emma, what are you doing here?" Tumnus exclaimed with a smile, emerging from the end of the hallway.

Emma remained frozen in place.

She heard a gasp from inside the room.

Oh, Emma was in trouble.

* * *

**Note:** Thanks for the reviews! I'm hoping this chapter was enjoyable :) And as you may see, the action is beginning to build up... ;) Good news: exams weeks is halfway over, so maybe my next update will come faster! In the meantime, feel free to review telling me what you think, haha. By the way, thanks for reading!


	4. Lena's Quick Escape

Emma turned to look at Tumnus, pressing one finger against her lips.

Tumnus nodded in understandment.

Emma looked around in desperation, not knowing what to do. There wasn't even a hiding spot in sight! Then an idea hit her.

In a less singsong tone of voice, she said, "Oh goodness, seems like you've got it wrong. I'm not Emma. I'm Lena Woodhouse, her _best friend_. I see where the mistake comes from, though. We quite look alike."

Which was not true, at all. Lena was medium-height, with strawberry blonde hair, green eyes and two cute dimples that always formed when she grinned.

"Of course, Miss Lena," Tumnus said, playing along. He was giving worried glances at Edmund's door, probably hoping that he would not come out. "I'm sorry."

Emma heard footsteps from the inside of the study room, heading toward the door.

Slightly gasping, she picked up her skirts. "I've got to go find Emma!"

She ran away as fast as she could. As soon as she turned the corner, she heard Edmund open the doors to his study room. She kept running until she was sure she was nowhere near the king. She stopped her sprints, and tried to catch her breath as she leaned against the wall.

"At least I'll burn those cakes with all the running I've been doing today," Emma told herself between pants.

She looked up at the roof, where a beautiful window let rays of sunlight shine down at her.

It had been a pretty eventful day.

Forgetting that the floor might've been dirty, she slid down, sighing in relief. She'd gotten out of trouble… for now.

She wasn't really sure why she even escaped both situations. If it had been the Emma from Archenland, she would've faced them both with her wittiness. But the current Emma seemed to be different than her former self. Even though she'd only been in the palace for two days, it seemed to have changed her quite a bit.

"_I'm sure Emma will make a proper queen. It might not seem so at first… but she will."_

Emma closed her eyes, remembering the words from Frank. Back when Frank first found out about the entire engagement, Frank wanted to talk with Edmund about certain things. She was sure it was about her, so she didn't put up a fight when she was asked to take a look around the castle.

"You should begin to get used to such big sights," Edmund had told her, half-smiling.

Emma, after giving Frank a knowing glance –who was simply staring out the window –had left the room. She wanted to make him know that she could not be tricked, but the fool didn't even glance at her.

Once outside, she remembered leaving the door slightly open, wanting to eavesdrop their conversation. Overhearing chats seemed to be her thing.

"Emma is a lot of things," Frank was saying. "Full of herself, selfish, immature, oblivious…"

Emma smiled at the memory of her initial shock once she heard those words. And the happiness that followed with Frank's later words.

"But you're really lucky to have met such a girl," Frank sighed. "She will always make you laugh, even if she doesn't realize it. And she's perseverant, bright and quick-minded. Once you get to know her really well, you won't want to part ways with her. And I'm sure Emma will make a proper queen. It might not seem so at first… but she will."

_Clomp, clomp. Clomp, clomp._

Emma snapped out of her thoughts, inspecting with alarm the hallways. It was either a darned centaur or Tumnus. But after a while, the sound of steps died and she was left in silence.

As she was saying before, Cair Paravel seemed to be changing her. Before, she would do things based on her own benefit. Now, she seemed to be doing everything to please other people (and she also seemed to come up with stupid lies). Remembering her encounter with the Pevensies, she came to the conclusion that she was now failing miserably at what she would've triumphed before.

Emma didn't know what had gotten into her.

Maybe she did not want to disappoint Frank's words about her.

Maybe she didn't want to make Edmund change his mind about their engagement (prison seemed like a nightmare).

Maybe it was both.

Whatever it was, she was definitely changing.

"I've been looking for you."

Emma looked up, just to find Edmund looking down at her. Her eyes widened, and she quickly began to stand up.

"Stay there," he told her. "I'd like to take a seat, too."

Emma tried to smile. "How did you find me?"

"Tumnus saw you here," Edmund explained.

Emma's face darkened. So those steps had belonged to Tumnus…

"You don't seem like your usual cheery person," Edmund continued. "Was it because of your meeting with my siblings?"

Emma laughed. "Why would I be sad about that? It was simply _grand._"

Edmund stared blankly at her. "You stained Peter's favorite clothes."

Emma's smile disappeared. "Tumnus?"

Edmund nodded.

"That faun can't simply keep his mouth shut, huh?" Emma muttered.

Edmund laughed. "He's quite honest."

There was a small silence.

"And so are you," Emma replied.

Edmund turned to look at her quizzically.

"You were about to tell that Annabel girl about our deal!" Emma accused.

Edmund pursed his lips, looking away. "She's sort of special…"

"And so is Frank."

Edmund slowly nodded. "You're right."

"'Love can turn you into a fool'," Emma recited. "That's what my etiquette teacher used to say. She told me that sometimes it wasn't so bad to let yourself be enthralled by love… but on most occasions, you have to keep your guards up –such as this one! You can't be blabbering on about our deal with people."

"I'm sorry," Edmund murmured. His head snapped up. "Wait… did you say love?"

Emma nodded. "What else could've I said?"

Edmund gazed at her as if she was out of her mind. "Were you just saying that I am in love with _Annabel Bennett_?"

"Yes, that's what it seemed like," Emma affirmed. "According to what she said, you asked her hand in marriage a couple of weeks ago."

"It was _five months_ ago," Edmund corrected. "And things have changed now-"

"Your Highness? Miss Emma?" a shy Tumnus called out.

The two stood up.

"What's wrong, Tumnus?" Edmund asked.

Tumnus stepped closer to the two. "It's time for Miss Emma to get ready for her ball."

Edmund's eyes lit up as he turned to look at Emma. "That's right, it's your party tonight."

Emma's lips curled upwards. How could've she forgotten of such an important detail?

"Go along," Edmund told her. "I don't want to delay you."

Emma nodded. "I'll get going."

Edmund smiled. "Of course. But I still owe you an explanation."

"Oh, please, I'm not the meddl-"

"I need to clarify things," Edmund insisted.

"Fine," Emma replied in a nonchalant voice. It wasn't as if she didn't want to know. Maybe Edmund had a love story of his own, and Emma was very curious to find out.

"See you later," Edmund told her, as Tumnus took her away. He then added with a playful smile, "It was nice meeting you, Lena Woodhouse."

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but decided to keep quiet. She didn't really have anything to say, after all.

Once they were out of earshot, Emma turned to look at the faun. "I was trying to escape from Edmund, why did you have to go and tell him where I was?"

Tumnus turned bright red. "I'm sorry, Miss. I just can't lie to a King."

Emma scoffed. "That's some loyalty... after all, you're lying to his_ royal_ siblings to get him out of a marriage."

Tumnus grimaced.

* * *

**Note:** Woo-hoo, fast update! I need to study, but I'm (a procrastinator) really enjoying writing this story. Just in case: sort of in the middle, the part where Frank is mentioned to be speaking, that's a flashback. Hopefully, you guys didn't get confused! Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed :)


	5. Hath No Fury Like an Emma Scorned

Luckily for her, just before the ballroom's double doors, large windows adorned the walls. So Emma could inspect every aspect of her reflection. She usually wore lively colors, so the royal purple dress they'd picked out for her made her look really different –instead of the bright image she usually portrayed, that time, she looked sophisticated, serious… just like a future queen should.

"Good job, Narnians," she told her reflection with approval.

A waltz emerging from inside the ballroom caught her attention. She turned to look at the large doors, beginning to feel nervous. She hadn't realized the importance of that night.

Not only was she about to set motion to her biggest lie ever, but that was the ball that would mark her name _forever._ All of her future reputation depended on her behavior that night. And unless she wanted to disappoint her family, friends and Lady Hawthorne… then she should really not mess up. Besides, she also wanted to show King Peter and Queen Susan how great of a queen she could be. Those fools had definitely treated her unfairly earlier that day. She pouted, remembering what King Peter had called her after _accidentally_ spilling tea all over his garments.

"You pest!" she murmured in a whiny tone, as if imitating the high king.

She gazed at her reflection once again, wondering in what she could fail. She was practically_ perfect_. And yet, she still felt as if she could easily mess up.

"The maids really outdid themselves this time."

Emma turned around, and a smile automatically brightened her face as she found Edmund gazing at her with approval.

"Don't give them all the credit," Emma replied. "I'm the one who's gracing this dress."

Edmund laughed, shaking his head. "I'm finally beginning to get your sense of humor."

_Sense of humor?_

Edmund stepped closer to Emma, and grabbed her hands.

The girl frowned. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to give you a few pointers, without me looking suspicious, on how to look like a real fiancée," Edmund whispered, leaning closer.

"Oh," came Emma's reply. Though she had to admit, the short distance between them didn't bother her.

"First of all, this is the stage in which a couple is mostly happy," Edmund began. "More than half of the night, we have to spend it next to each other. There, we have to always smile lovingly at each other. And not just smile with the lips, but with the eyes."

"Don't worry, I'm quite a good actress," Emma assured him.

Edmund smiled. "Alright… now, continuing our pointers. When someone asks about how you and I met, make sure to get a dreamy look in your eyes. I'm also hoping you're familiar to our letter exchanging story?"

"I know it by heart," Emma informed him. "About that story… what is Annabel going to think? She obviously knows you weren't in love with me like the story says –after all, we're supposed to have grown fond of each other a few months after your visit to Archenland… which was two years ago, I think?"

"You got that right," Edmund told her. "And about Annabel… that's what I wanted to clarify earlier today. You see, I'm not-"

"Your Highness, Miss Emma?"

Both turned to look at their right, where Tumnus stood.

"Yes?" Edmund said.

"It's time," he announced. Once he spotted their hand holding, he smiled knowingly at Edmund.

Immediately, Emma and Edmund took one step away from each other, bright red.

"Let's go," Edmund told Emma, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.

"Of course," Emma replied. Unlike Edmund, she had always been pretty quick to regain her composure.

Both stood facing the door.

Tumnus leaned closer. "Link arms if you want it to look real."

Without a word or a glance, Edmund obeyed and held out his arm out to Emma.

Emma linked her arm through his, glancing at Edmund in the process. He seemed to still be embarrassed by Tumnus's previous reaction.

As she turned to look at the doors in front of her, Emma slumped her shoulders back and slightly raised her chin, just like Lady Hawthorne had taught her. Remembering her etiquette teacher, the butterflies that settled in her stomach were inevitable. She'd trained for nearly her entire life to excel at an occasion like the ball. And even though it was clear that the royal family and court would keep their eyes open for any flaw she could have, she simply couldn't let them find any. She'd been called Lady Hawthorne's best apprentice, and she wouldn't disappoint that name.

As soon as the doors opened, everything happened in a whisk of a second. As she entered the room, all she could see were the looks of approval people had when they gazed at her. Back in Archenland, she wouldn't have been surprise for such looks. But in Narnia, she was quite happy about them. She thought that the rest of the Narnians would think of her the same that the royal family and court did. But apparently, she was wrong. And for the first time ever, she was glad for that.

After a considerable amount of time, Edmund was talking to some of his friends from other kingdoms. Emma was chatting with Queen Lucy, the only one who seemed to not try and call out her flaws.

Queen Lucy wanted to know everything about her life back in Archenland, so Emma gladly told her. Once she began talking about Frank, Lucy pointed at someone behind her.

"Would that be him?" she asked. "I think so, because when you first came in he was smiling at you with pride."

Emma turned around, her eyes brightening as she realized it was indeed him. "Yes, that is Frank."

"He's handsome," Queen Lucy added with a smile. She then motioned at the girl whom he was talking to. "Is he courting her?"

Emma nearly spit out the cake she was eating. "What?" She turned to look at the girl whom Frank was talking to, and with relief, realized it was Lena. "Not at all, Lucy. That's just Lena, my friend."

"Really?" Lucy replied. She was still gazing at both of them. "They wouldn't make such a bad couple."

"Come on Lucy, they would make a horrid couple," Emma told her. "Lena is shy and sweet, and Frank doesn't speak much either. Lena would be better suited with an outgoing and funny man."

"Well, you do know them better than I do," Lucy answered. Her eyes brightened at something behind Emma's back. "Ed!"

Emma turned around. "Oh, hello."

Edmund smiled at both girls. "I'm sorry, Lu. But I'm here to take Emma away. The waltz is about to resume, and I'd like to dance with her."

"Of course." A knowing smile grew in her face. "I'll go find Susan."

When she was gone, Edmund began to lead Emma toward the dance floor. In the process, Emma spotted her father laughing with some dukes who'd he sold things to. Next to him, Lady Hawthorne stood, her face brightened by a smile. As Emma had heard, one of Lady Hawthorne's own daughters was about to marry one of the dukes in the group. Emma could also spot other friends of her, enjoying the ballroom. She smiled at her friends' and family's glee.

The waltz started, and Edmund and Emma began to dance.

"I think this would be the proper time to explain Annabel," Edmund told her.

"Really?" Emma asked. "Right now?"

Edmund nodded. "This is the only time someone won't interrupt us."

"Alright, I was curious about your love story, anyways," Emma admitted. "Maybe it's just as eventful as those in a novel."

Edmund rolled his eyes light-heartedly. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this 'love story' I'm about to tell you isn't really eventful."

And so, he began. But as soon as he uttered the first word, she couldn't help but spot Frank and Lena dancing a few steps away from them. Her eyes darkened as she spotted the smile on both their faces. Lena seemed to be telling him something, which Frank was receiving with the utmost happiness.

_They wouldn't make such a bad couple._

Lucy's voice echoed in her head as she inspected both of them. Now that she took a closer look at them, Lena's eyes were sparkling brighter than ever as she spoke to Frank. And Frank's face was the brightest she'd ever seen it. Emma frowned. She didn't really like the concept of a Lena and Frank. She didn't know _exactly _why, but she was sure they wouldn't make such a good couple. Frank was quiet, wise, and caring. He needed someone who contrasted with those qualities, not a shy and mature Lena. He needed someone like Emma.

"I hope we're all clear, now."

Edmund's voice snapped her out of her train of thoughts.

Realizing that she hadn't even caught an inch of Edmund's clarification, she decided to lie. "Of course."

"Good," Edmund replied with a smile. "I didn't want you to have the wrong idea of Annabel and I."

"Yes," Emma giggled, not knowing what to say.

A tap on her shoulder interrupted them. Turning around, Emma's eyes widened once she spotted King Peter. There was a girl next to him with amber eyes, chestnut-colored hair and bow-shaped lips. She was smiling shyly.

"Annabel," Edmund greeted. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to come?"

The girl, Annabel, shrugged. "There was a change of plans." She curtsied at Emma. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Miss Emma."

Emma bowed her head, smiling. "Likewise. And please, call me Emma. We are the same age, aren't we?"

Annabel nodded.

Peter motioned at Emma. "Edmund… would you lend Miss Emma to me for a while? I would like to dance with her."

Emma perked up at this. Didn't he hate her? A smug smile formed in her lips. He'd finally come to realize what luck he had to have met such a person like Emma. It was obvious. With such a personality, who could hate Emma for more than a few hours?

Edmund seemed quite surprised.

"I would also like to dance with you," Annabel told Edmund.

Emma inspected Annabel. She didn't look like a bad person. What would be the wrong if she danced with Edmund? After all, Emma and Edmund weren't _really_ engaged.

"I think it would be a great idea," Emma spoke up, her face bright.

"What?" Edmund blurted out. He leaned closer to Emma. "We're supposed to keep it as real as possible."

Emma ignored his remark. She curtsied at Peter. "It would be an honor to dance with you, King Peter."

Edmund looked shock. "Emma-"

"I'll see you later, Edmund," Emma told him. She smiled at Annabel. "Nice meeting you, dear. That blue dress really fits you!"

Annabel's smile grew. "Really? Thank you."

_Not as good as it would've looked on me, but close enough_, Emma added in her mind. Once Peter and her were out of earshot from Annabel and Edmund, something in the dark-haired boy's eyes changed. He didn't look as nice as he had before.

The dance began, and King Peter pressed his lips together. "We need to talk."

"Of course," Emma answered, oblivious to what was coming next. "I'm so very sorry about spilling tea on your clothes. It was accidental-"

"I don't like you."

Emma's smile disappeared. "W-what?"

"I don't think you have any good intentions on marrying Edmund," King Peter continued. "And your insensible personality is a clear proof."

"Insensible?" Emma repeated, more than astonished. Nobody –not even Frank –had ever insulted her in such a way.

"That's what I said," King Peter clarified, frowning. "I still don't know what Edmund saw in you, but because he's my brother and I love him, I'll try to respect his opinion. However, if you do something that hurts him in any way… I swear, I will kick you out of Narnia myself."

There was a shocked silence about the two.

And then Emma gasped. "You… you rude idiot! You might be a king but that doesn't give you the right to threaten a _woman_."

And with that, she stomped his foot as hard as she could. He grimaced in pain, and as he bent down Emma stormed out of the ballroom. That idiot… who did he think he was to call her 'insensible'? _He_ was the insensible one.

"Jerk, fool… _pig,_" she fumed, walking as faraway as possible as she could from the ballroom.

And why would _she_ be the one kicked out of Narnia? As far as she understood, Edmund was the one with the idea of lying to the entire kingdom. How could she have 'bad intentions' if the mastermind behind the plan was King Edmund himself? She had devised a plan that, when she returned to Archenland, she would make sure that the blame for the engagement's break-up fell on Edmund's shoulder. Her reputation would be ruined if people thought it was her fault, after all. But now… now she'd make sure to stain _King Peter's_ name and blame _him_.

She felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

"You should be glad that only Annabel and I saw your little tantrum out there," Edmund snarled.

"_My_ little tantrum?" Emma exclaimed. "That idiot brother of yours was insulting me!"

"That 'idiot' you're talking about is a _king_," Edmund clarified. "And who do you think you are to walk out on your own ball? I could easily call off the engagement right now and send you back to prison."

Emma gaped. "So rudeness runs in your family! Ever since I met your siblings, only Queen Lucy has been nice with me."

"And I can see why," Edmund countered. "You're _nothing_ to treat a king the way you have with Peter. You know… I'm beginning to think that maybe you did spill tea all over him on purpose."

"And I'm beginning to see why nobody has wanted to marry you!" Emma retorted, before stomping away. Before she left, she turned around and threw her corsage at Edmund's face. It missed, but Emma decided to ignore that. "Make sure to throw it at your brother's ugly face from my part!"

And with that, she left for good.

Flipping a strand of hair behind her shoulder, she scoffed. She clearly had more dignity than all the Narnians combined. She'd never go as low as Peter or Edmund did. Now, she'd certainly blame both Peter _and_ Edmund for the engagement's disbandment.

She couldn't believe that earlier that day she was feeling sorry for spilling tea all over Peter the Idiot. In fact, she wished she would've done it _purposely_!

As she turned the corner of a hallway, all of her angry thoughts were vanished at the sight of a red-haired girl sitting outside, under some tall bushes.

"The girl!" Emma exclaimed.

* * *

**Note:** I know that some things in this chapter might not be clear, but I left them the way they are for a reason. Don't worry, when I finish this story everything will be sorted out :) I'm hoping that you enjoyed the length of this chapter, by the way. I didn't realize how much I'd written until I uploaded it to FF!


	6. The Aftermath of the Corsage Attack

Emma wasn't even sure how'd she managed to go outside. She didn't care, though. She was more surprised that there actually was a girl there. The redhead was staring at her with wide green eyes, her mouth slightly opened in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Emma questioned.

The girl remained silent.

It was then that Emma noticed how dirty the girl was. There were a couple of leaves and twigs sticking out from her messy hair, her clothes were stained with dirt and it looked like she hadn't had a shower in a long time.

Emma sighed. "I'm not going to tell anyone about you…"

"You promise?" the girl's soft voice came out.

Emma shrugged. "Unless you're planning to cause a war or something…"

"If I was, I wouldn't tell you," the girl replied, chuckling shyly.

Emma smiled. "Then your secret is safe with me." She turned to look at the castle's windows. "Though, I recommend we move to another place."

The girl nodded, and she guided Emma through a maze of rose shrubs until they were pretty far away from the castle.

"Alright, speak," Emma demanded.

The girl sighed. "My name is Cassidy… I used to work here as a maid."

Emma inspected the girl. "But you look fourteen."

"Thirteen, actually," Cassidy corrected.

Emma's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Isn't that too young to be working as a _servant_?"

Cassidy shrugged. "You'd be surprised. Before I left, they'd just hired a nine-year-old girl."

Emma remained silent. If she, at nineteen, would not survive scrubbing floors… how could an even younger girl do so?

"Well, after two months of working here, I got the news that my parents had gotten really sick," Cassidy continued, her eyes darkening with sorrow. "I'm their only daughter, so I knew it was the right thing to quit my job and attend their needs."

Emma nodded.

"But just when I left Cair Paravel, I got the news that my parents had already…" the girl abruptly stopped, looking down.

Emma bit her lower lip, feeling bad for the girl. Especially since she could identify herself in Cassidy. Her mother had died when Emma was just a little younger than Cassidy.

"I had nowhere to go. No rich person needed a new maid, so I was left living in the streets," Cassidy told Emma. "But I was scared. I didn't feel secure sleeping in the streets… so I managed to sneak back into the castle. I was ashamed that, after abruptly quitting, I'd have to go back there and beg for them to give me back my job. So I simply stayed here in the shrubberies."

"You've been sleeping _here?" _Emma exclaimed, astonished.

Cassidy nodded.

"Oh my goodness," Emma gasped. "For how long?"

"One month," Cassidy answered.

Emma was even more shocked. "_One month?_"

Emma tried to picture herself in Cassidy's position. Which seemed impossible, because even with the thought of it she wanted to faint. No comfortable bed, no calming baths, no beautiful dresses, no… no _food_.

"What did you eat?" Emma asked.

"I sneaked into the stables and stole three apples each day," Cassidy answered. "It served as both food and water."

"That is _horrendous_!" Emma exclaimed. If she were in Cassidy's shoes, she would've already died. "We _have_ to do something about it."

"But you-"

"I can't simply leave you here," Emma cut in, frowning with concern.

Emma flashed back to the time when her mother passed away. Mrs. Hollingsworth had gone on a trip with Emma's uncle. On its way back, there was a shipwreck and both of them died. Emma clearly remembered her as a nine-year-old kid not grasping the fact that her mother would never return. Every day until she turned twelve she woke up with the hope that her mother would appear right in her doorstep. Gazing at Cassidy, she thought of having to deal with the sorrow of loosing a parent plus being homeless. And let's not forget that Cassidy lost her entire family –she was left with no caring father or friends, like Emma.

Emma sighed. "I think I can come up with-"

"Miss Emma!" she heard Alicia exclaimed. "Miss Emma, where are you?"

Cassidy gasped. "They can't find me."

"And they won't…"

"Miss Emma!" the voice was getting closer to the two.

"I need to go and hide," Cassidy informed Emma in desperation. "If they find me, they'll surely kick me out."

"Miss Emma?" It seemed as if Alicia was just a few steps away from Emma now.

Emma began to protest. "But-"

"Thank you for keeping it a secret." And with that, Cassidy ran off.

"Miss Emma!" Alicia exclaimed. She emerged from the pathway leading to the castle. Once she spotted Emma, she sighed in relief. "Oh goodness, Miss Emma, I found you!"

"Alicia… why were you looking for me?" Emma asked, gazing at the maid.

"I went to look for you in your room to inform you that you have to wake up early tomorrow… but you weren't there," Alicia explained.

Emma's eyes widened. "I have to wake up early tomorrow?"

It couldn't be that Edmund wanted to kick her out already, right? After all, they had a deal. But what if the corsage angered him? What if he realized that he didn't want corsage-throwing girls as his pretend fiancée? Or what if… what if he re-proposed to Annabel and she said yes? Emma gasped. Would he throw her back in jail? If she left… what in the world would happen to Cassidy? The only good thing was that nobody would blame Emma for her engagement's cancellation, since-

"Yes, the Pevensies wake up early to have their breakfast," Alicia answered. "And they're inviting you to join them."

Emma looked down.

That was worst than being kicked out of the castle.

"Uh…" Emma began. "What if I don't feel well tomorrow?"

Alicia smiled. "Miss Emma… I know that you're not so friendly with King Peter, which is why I encourage even more this reunion."

"Please, Alicia… why does it matter if I'm friendly with King Peter or not?" Emma asked. "The engagement between Edmund and I is fake. After a month, I'm supposed to leave."

"But still," Alicia replied. "I think that you should make an effort to be on good terms with him."

Emma sighed. She still didn't want to have breakfast with King Peter or Queen Susan… but it seemed that there was no way out. "Fine, then. Let's go. If I'm supposed to wake up early tomorrow, then I'll go to bed now."

Alicia smiled. "I'm glad you accepted."

"I'm not," Emma murmured, pouting.

Alicia took her back inside the castle. Once she was in there, Felicia called Alicia, since they were needed to wash a few dishes. Alicia at first didn't want to go, not feeling it right to leave Miss Emma to fend off on her own. But after Emma assured her that she knew her path back to her bedroom, Alicia left.

Emma was still feeling pretty down. It was not just because of the ball, but also about the Cassidy situation and the fact that she'd have to breakfast with King Peter the very next day. And she thought being a king's fake fiancée would be easy…

She was rounding the corner to the staircases leading to her bedroom when she heard voices coming from King Peter's study room.

"I still don't know what King Edmund saw in Emma."

Emma's face paled. The door was slightly opened, so she could see who were the people inside. The royal court was sitting around a large table, with King Peter sitting in the head.

"She's so inadequate," the member continued. "I mean, I didn't give much importance to the fact that I didn't see her near the ball's end. But, after you've informed us that she walked out from her own ball… I can't help but wonder if this girl won't actually disrupt the castle's peace if she becomes queen."

Emma wanted to burst the doors open and strangle the court member.

"She may have a pretty face," another member added. "But all of that attitude makes her the ugliest being in the world."

Emma gasped silently, not believing her ears. How dare they? _He_ was ugly both in the inside and physically. His beard was far too large, his nose was way too crooked and his eyes were not attractive at all.

"See, Ed? I'm not the only one who thinks that Emma doesn't really deserve to be queen," King Peter spoke up.

Emma's mouth dropped open. It was then that she spotted Edmund, looking down at his hands with his lips pursed. He'd been there all along, and he hadn't said a word to defend her? Her heart dropped to the ground, and she began to feel dizzy with disappointment and hurt.

"I still don't understand why Lu wanted to invite her to breakfast with us," King Peter continued. "She would clearly sour the air."

She couldn't listen anymore.

She jerked back her head and dejectedly walked up the stairs.

Nobody had spoken about her that way. Back in Archenland, every single person wanted to be with her. They _admired_ Emma. But in Narnia… it seemed as if they enjoyed speaking ill things of her.

And so did Edmund.

Emma bit her lower lip, opening the doors to her room. She was more hurt than anything else, so she felt numb. She couldn't really think anything through. She only knew one thing: she'd definitely not breakfast with the royal siblings.

She looked out the window. Frank had mentioned the hotel where he was staying… if Cassidy could sneak in, Emma could surely sneak out. After all, she needed her friend's supportive words. Only he would know what Emma could do in such a situation.

* * *

**Note:** I'm sorry if Peter is being a tad too mean with Emma. But that's just for now, and for story's purposes. Don't worry, he will soon stop being that way. Anyways, thanks for reading! I'm hoping this chapter was enjoyable :)


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